Biography

Biography Calvin: Geneva's Iron Hand

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth. As the year draws to a close and the multiple commemorations celebrating the theologian's legacy begin to diminish, few can deny the effect this controversial figure has had on the modern Protestant movement.

Mulling Over Muller

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Although the malaria parasite has plagued humans for at least 4,000 years, this vector-borne disease was successfully eradicated in the United States after Paul Hermann Müller's discovery that DDT was an effective insecticide against its carriers. Since the 1970s, however, malaria levels have been increasing once again

George Hale: To Know the Stars and Sunbeams

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:00 GMT

In 1900, the Milky Way was the universe. But George Hale's persistent curiosity and engineering talent ignited fires that have brought modern astronomy and cosmology up to warp speed. Today we see our galaxy as just one small stitch in the ever-expanding fabric of space and time.

Neil Armstrong: A Man Out of Time

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 GMT

On July 20, 1969, humans took their first steps beyond the earth. For almost anyone who was alive that day, its memories are flashbulb events. But understanding the physical details of the moon and the stars is only one step toward an answer to the bigger question: what is the connection between ourselves and the universe?

Ayn Rand: Fantasyland

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

It is unusual to find someone who not only retains their early views but builds a detailed philosophy atop them. Ayn Rand was such a person. Today, more than 27 years after her death in 1982, Rand's works-including her great objectivist flagships The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957)-continue to sell thousands of copies yearly.

Biography: Robert E. Peary, Arctic Explorer

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

In April of 1909, Peary's diary noted that he had finally achieved his life goal: he was the first man to reach the North Pole. However, a century later it is still unclear whether any of the early contenders really made it to the right spot-and if so, who-but Peary has made his mark on the history of arctic exploration, nevertheless.

Biography: King Bhumibol of Thailand

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

In 1946 His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty, ascended to the Thai throne. At his coronation ceremony he promised that both he and Queen Sirikit would "reign with righteousness for the benefits and happiness of the Siamese people," and according to Richard William Jones, whose biography of Bhumibol was published by Thailand's National Identity Office, "For over 60 years, as the world's longest reigning, living monarch, His Majesty has upheld the commitment articulated at his coronation."

Geronimo

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The Apache warrior Geronimo was a controversial figure who faced severely troubled times during his life, which ended on February 17, 1909. Considering our own troubled world a century later, perhaps people of all races have something to learn from Geronimo: particularly in regard to his willingness to discard old ideas and envision a new way to live.

Fritz Haber - Plowshares and Swords

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The prophet Isaiah wrote of a time when swords would be turned into plowshares-when instruments of war would be turned into implements for farming-heralding lasting peace for humankind. But history reveals that plowshares turn into swords when knowledge used for good becomes knowledge used for evil.

Queen Elizabeth I - Duty Comes First

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Despite controversies in recent years, history will probably record that Queen Elizabeths reign has been one of the most successful in British history.